Operating means



July Z7 1926.

A. H. STEBBINS OPERATING Mams Filed Feb. 6, 1926 TTR'NEY Patented July 27, 1926.

PATE? ALBERT II. STEBBINS, OF LGS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

OPERATING MEANS.

Application led February 6, 1926. SeriaI No. 86,465.

This invention relates to means for imparting a progressive vibratory movement to frames and other devices supported to be vibrated.

Various devices such as screens, concentrator tables and other forms of separators employ a progressivevibratory movement in effecting the separation of materials.

In some devices a strong progressive movement is required to advance the materials being treated, while in other devices the travel of the materials may be produced largely through the action of gravity, in Which case a relatively slight progressive movement may be suliicient to efl'ect the dcsired result. Still other devices may require a strong vibratory moven'ient that will shake the materials being treated back and forth With considerable force, but with a movement that is only slightly more energetic in one direction than the other, to advance the materials at a moderate rate of speed.

Having the above operating conditions in mind, the present invention relates to an extremely simple construction for shaking the device to be operated back and fortA with a moderate progressive movement.

@ne importantl feature of the present invention resides in an operating eccen/ric having cables associated therewith so that as either cable is tensioned the other cable is slacked olf, and in spring means connected to one of the cables for producing the progressive movement.

Another feature of the invention resides in an unbalanced Weight associated With the operating means so that it effects the tensioning of one cable more quickly than the other to thereby produce a progressive movement.

@ther features of the invention and novel combination .of parts in addition to the above will be hereinafter described in comnection With the accompanying drawings which illustrate one good practical form of the invention.

In the drawing.-

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a supporting casing, having cable operating means constructed in accordance with the present invention, the frame that is supported for vibratory movement being indicated in dotand-dash lines.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device of Fig. l, the vibratory frame being shown in full lines; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a slightly modified construction of the operating cable, the sheaves associated With the cable being shown in skeleton lines.

The operating means forming the subject matter of the present-invention may be employed to operate concentrated decks, screens and various other devices requiring a progressive vibratory movement. The frame l() which is mounted for vibratory movement may serve as the supporting means for a concentrator deck, screen, or such other device as it is desired to vibrate.

Any desired means may be provided to support the frame l for vibratory movement, and in the construction shown the supporting casing is provided with the uprights ll to which the horizontally extending side rails are secured.

Various means might be provided for supporting the frame l0 for back and forth movement, and one simple construct-ion to this end consists ofthe balls or rollers i3 Which lie in trough-shaped bearing brackets 1d secured to the supporting casing7 anc the upper portion of these balls or rollers may extend into bearing brackets l5 secured to the under face of the frame l0. rlhe construction of the bearing brackets 141- and l5 is preferably such that they Will guide the frame l0 in its back and forth movement.

The construction so far described forms no essential part of the present invention, but is illustra-ted to make clear the construction and operation of the novel operating means which will now be described. rlhis operating means is so constructed that one cab-le is provided to pull the frame lO in one direction While a second cable serves to pull the frame 1G in the opposite direction, and these cables are actuated by an eccentric which serves to let off one cable while it tensions the other.

in the construction shown in Figs. l and 2 a cable 1G is provided to pull the frame l0 in the left-hand direction and this cable has one end secured to the frame by any suitable means such as a rod or pin 17 secured to the under portion of the frame and about which the end portion of the cable is looped the loop being formed by bending the end portion of the cable back against the lll' cable and ecuring it in place by a clamp 15%. The portion oi' the cable ei-tending trein the 't laine 10 passes around a grooved sheavo 19 mounted upon the shaft 2O the opposite ends olf which shait are supported by the brackets 21 mounted upon the supporting casing. The cable 16 passes "tron the ,arooved sheave 19 to the operating; sheave 22 about 'which it is bent, and the other end ot this cable is anchored to the supporting casing' by any suitable means such as the adjustable bolt 723 provided With the nut 2li, Which secures the bolt to a transversely eX- tendina` beam 25 of the supporting casing.

A similar cable 26 serves to pull the frame 10 in the right-hand direction and one end or this cable may be secured to the trame 10, in the manner above described, by looping the end portion about a pin or rod 17 secured to the under portion of the frame. rlhe portion of the cable 26 extending from the traine. 10 is looped about a second grooved sheave 19 supported for rotative movement and spaced lengthwise-ot the supporting casing vvith respect to the tiret inentioned sheave 19, and the cable 26 extends from the lower side of the sheave 19 around the opposite side of the operating sheave 22. rthe end oi this cable is secured to the supportingl casingby yielding anchoring means such as the coiled spring 2T mounted upon a bolt Q8 attached to the end ot the cable 26. rnhe coiled spring may be confined between adjustable nuts 29 upon this bolt and a cross beam 30 secured to the supporting,` casing.

rihe operating sheave 22 is preferably provided with two cable receiving grooves disposed in spaced relation to each other', and extendingentirely around the sheave, one groove being adapted to receive the cable 16 and the other the cable 26. This sheave is mounted upon the eccentric 31 which is secured to or formed integral With the operating shaft The shaft 32 is rotatably supported by the bearing brackets secured to the supporting casing and the shaft may be driven by the pulley 311-. The construction of the eccentric and sheave 22 is such that the eccentric is free to rotate in this sheave to move the sheave bodily Without rotating` it, and this movement ot' the sheave 22 serves to tension one cable and slack oil. the other, as will be apparent from Fig. 2, wherein the sheave 22 is shovvn in full lines in the posi tion it occupies when the irame 10 is at the lett-hand end of its stroke, and the parts are shown in dotted lines in the position they occupy when the frame 10 is at the right hand end of its stroke.

From the construction described it will be seen as the operating shaft 32 rotates, the cables 16 and 96 are actuated to pull the frame 10 back and forth, but it should be noted that since the lower end of the cable 16 is non-yieldingly anchored to the supporting casing., While the lower end of the cable is yieldingly secured to the supporting casing, the two cables will operate diiiercntv upon the traine 10. That is, the yieldcause it to exert a continuous pull upon the traine 10 urging the same in a right-hand direction, Whereas the non-yielding anchoring means for the cable 16 'will cause this cable to exert a pull upon the *rame 10 in the lei`t-hand direction only when this cable is being tensioned by the operating; sheave 2&2.

its a result of the construction just described, the constant pull exerted upon the cable 26 by the spring 27 tends to move the traine 10 more energetically in the righthand direction than it does in the left-hand direction, thus imparting a progressive vi bratory movement to the trame 10 in the right-hand direction. his progressive movement may be increased or decreased desired by varying; the strength or" the spring QT, which may be done by adjusting` the nuts threaded upon the anchoring bolt 28.

lt will be apparent that the operating cables 16 and 26 may constitute separate and distinct cables, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or may constitute a single cable, as shown in Fig. CS1, wherein the upper stretch ot the cable is rigidly secured to the under tace or the 'traine 10 by the clamping means 35. ln this construction the portion of the cable extending' etween the clampin` means 853, and which is designated by 3 serves merely to transmit the pull directly from one op- @rating` portion oi' the cable to the other, and it Will be apparent that the operation of the active portion 16 and 26 of the cables will be the same, Whether they constitute separate and distinct cables, as in Figs. 1 and 2, or are connected by the portion 36, as in Fig. 8.

1n sonic cases it may be desirable to provide means for supplementing the progressive vibratory movement produced by the yielding anchor QT and this may be accennplished by providing the operating means tor rotating the eccentric 31 with an unbalanccd ,veieht such as the Weight 3l" Vwhich may iastened to the tty Wheel or pulley 234-, the arrangement being` such that it the pulley is rotated in the direction ot the arrou7 shown in Fig. 2, the action of gravity upon the Weight 37 vvill tend to slow down the action oi the eccentric 31 as the latter moves to the full line position oi" 2, and this Weight Will tend to speed up the action of the eccentric 31 as it approaches the dotted line position ot Fig. 2. The effect ot this will be to tension the cable E26 more quickly than the cable 16 to 'thereby pull the trame 10 more quickly in a right-hand direction than in the left-hand direction. rlhe arrangement is such that both the spring QT and Weight 37 act to speed up the movement ng anchoring means tor the cable 26 will i2 il of the frame l0 in a right-hand direction, and to retard somewhat the movement of this frame in the opposite direction, to thereby impart the desired progressive movement to the frame 10 in the right-hand direction.

rlhe operating means described forms an extremely simple construction for vibrating a frame as energetically desired, and the nature of the provfressive movement imparted to the frame may be varied by varying the strength of the yielding anchor secured to one of the cables.

Since the cables 16 and 26` perform separate and independent functions irrespective of Whether they are constructed as separate cables (as in F 2) or as an integral cable (as .in Fig. 3), the plural term cables has been used in the specification and claims as descriptive of both constructions.

`What is claimed is zl. ln combination With a frame supported for vibratory movement, operating means for the frame, comprising an eccentric shaft, a sheave mounted upon the eccentric, a cable extending around one side of the sheave and having one end anchored and its other end secured to the vibratory frame, a second cable extending around the opposite side of the sheave and having one end secured to the vibratory frame and a yielding` anchor for its other end, and means for rotatinfr the eccentric Within the sheave to move the frame back and forth by alternately tensioning and slacking oli the ca.- bles While the yielding anchor exerts a pull upon its cable that imparts a progressive vibra-tory movement to the frame.

2. In combination With a frame supported for vibratory movement, operating means the frame, comprising` an eccentric shaft, a sheave mounted upon the eccentric, a pair :of cables secured to the frame and extending therefrom about opposite sides of the sheave, a non-yielding anchor for the end of one cable, a resilient anchor for the end of the other cable, and means for rotating the eccentric to move the sheave so that it will pull the frame bachiy and forth by alternately tensioning and slacking ofi' the cables While the resilient anchor ererts a continuous pull upon its cable to move the frame more energetically in one direction than the other.

3. in combination with a casing' having a frame mounted thereupon for vibratory movement, operating' means for the frame comprising, an eccentric shaft, a sheave mounted upon the eccentric to be actuated thereby, cables each having an intermediate portion resting against the sheave and eX- tending therefrom in opposite directions, means for securing an end of each cable to the frame, means for anchoring the other end of one of the cables to the casing, spring means for yieldingly securing the end of the other cable to the casing, and means for operating' the eccentric to move the sheave so that it alternately tensions and slacks od the cables to vibrate the frame While the spring acting through one cable moves the frame more energetically in one direction than the other.

4. ln combination With a frame supported for vibratory movement, operating means for the frame comprising, an eccentric shaft, sheave mounted upon the eccentric shaft to be actuated thereby, cables each having an interm-edizy te portion restingagainst the sheave and extending therefrom in opposite directions and each cable having one end anchored and its other end secured to the frame, means for rotating the eccentric to actuate the sheave so that it alternately pulls and slaclrs off the cables, vand an unbalanced Weight associated with the rotating means to increase the speed of the eccentric through part of its rotation and decrease its speed during -a different part of its rotation to thereby impart a progressive movement to the frame.

5. In combination with a frame supported for vibratory mm ement, operating means for the frame comprising, an eccentric shaft, a sheave mounted upon the eccentric shaft to be actuated thereby, a cable extending around lone side of the sheave and having` one end secured to the frame and its other end anchored, a second cable extending around the other side of the cable and having one end secured to the frame and its other end anchored, means for rotating the eccentric to actuate the sheave so that it alternately tensions and slacks off the cables, and an unbalanced Weight associated With the rotating means so that the action of gravity upon the Weight Will cause the sheave to tension one cable more quickly than the other.

6n ln combination with a frame supported for vibratory movement, operating means for the frame comprising, an eccentric shaft, a sheave mounted upon the eccentric shaft to be actuated thereby, cable extending around one side of the sheave, a second cable ente ding; around the other side of the sheave, means fer securing one end of each cable to the frame and for anchoring the other end of each cable, means for rotating the. acci-nitric to actuate the sheave so that it alternately tensions and slacks off the cables, an unbalanced Weight associated with the'rotating' means to cause the eccentric to tension one cable more quickly than the other, and spring means arranged to supplement the action of the 'Weight in imparting a progressive movement to the frame.

ln testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

.ALBERT H. STEBBINS. 

